Power operated lifter



Feb. 17, 1959 J. PRENK 2,873,772

POWER OPERATED LIFTER Filed April 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Second Station L 5 L H as v A 'oo I I 4 First 49 CF27;

Station 48 if. 1 3d F 38\ 3'- I F O c 54 j 4 42 nvvmvron: JOSEPH PRENK, I I y 1 BY? Z MZ;

his Attorney.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 24, 1956 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH PREN/Q his Attorney.

United States Patent FOWER OPERATED LIFTER Joseph Prenk, Antioch, Calif.

Application April 24, 1956, Serial No. 580,309

2 Claims. (cl. 141-447 A The present invention relates generally to apparatus for packaging articles in containers and more particularly to a power operated lifter for manipulating the container-filling guide or funnel of the packaging apparatus.

In many packaging processes the container filling stage of the packaging operation requires the use of a container filling guide or container. A filler guide is frequently used to control the movement of the product being packaged as it is being loaded into a container when it is desired to position the product in the container in a certain manner to achieve themost eflicient use of the container. The packaging of nails, for example, requires the use of such a filler guide. During the carton-filling stage of modern automatic nail packaging processes the carton being filled is vibrated while the nails are being loaded into the carton. This is done so that the nails will fill the carton compactly. In order to sustain high speed packaging operations, it is necessary to insert a funnel in the carton to properly control the flow of nails being dumped into the vibrating carton during the filling stage. In modern mail packaging lines empty cartons are automatically and sequentially fed into the stations where a funnel is inserted into each carton before it passes to a filling placement or station in the packaging line. After the carton has been filled, the funnel is removed therefrom before it passes on to the carton sealing and tying stations. In one modern method of nail packaging the filled carton is returned to the funnel inserting station where the funnel is withdrawn from the filled container and inserted into an empty one to prepare it for subsequent filling. Up to the time of my invention manipulation of the funnel at the funnel inserting and withdrawing station was carried on by a workman who manually removed the funnel from the filled carton and then manually placed it into an empty carton. The time required to complete this operation varied in accordance with the agility of the workman performing it at any particular time and, therefore, was influenced by factors which affected the agility of the workman, the most important of which is fatigue. The speed at which the funnel was manipulated affected the speed of the entire packaging operation and constituted a serious limiting influence on the production rate of the otherwise automatic nail packaging equipment.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide a power operated lifting device which can be incorporated into a packaging apparatus and which is adapted to selectively engage, raise and lower a funnel supporting element of the packaging apparatus to lift a funnel from or lower a funnel into containers being processed in the packaging apparatus.

It is another object of my invention to provide a device as described above which can be manually or automatically actuated.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a nail packaging machine having the lifter of the invention incorporated therein;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line II- -II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the lifter of the invention looking to the right toward Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line IVIV of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V--V of Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings reference numeral 2 designates generally the device of the invention which for purposes of illustration will be described and shown as used in conjunction with a rotary nail packaging machine 6. The specific details of the nail packaging machine itself are not pertinent to the present invention and, therefore, description of only those'elernents of the packaging machine necessary to a complete understanding of the present invention will be included herein.

Reference numerals refers to an upstanding frame housing which may be comprised of a bottom plate 10, top plate 12, two opposed side walls 14 connected with and extending vertically between the top and bottom plates, and reinforcement webs 16. The housing 8 is disposed adjacent to the packing machine 6. The bottom plate 10 of housing 8 is preferably bolted to the mill floor as shown in Figures 3 and 4. A pair of opposed bracket shelves 18 are welded or otherwise rigidly secured by their ends to the inner surfaces of the two opposed side members 14 intermediate the length of the frame 8. The brackets 18 extend between the side walls 14 and together with the portion of the frame 8 therebelow function as a base for four spaced vertical guide rods 20 which are rigidly attached to and extend between the backets118 and the top plate 12 as best shown in Figure 4.. A car: riage 22 is slidably mounted for vertical movement on the guide rods 20 between the side walls 14. The carriage 22 is connected on its underside with the piston rod 24 of a double acting fluid pressure cylinder 26 which is rigidly mounted in vertical disposition on the bottom plate 10. Cylinder 26 is actuated by suitable means (not shown) to raise and lower carriage 22.

A guide block 28 is mounted on the carriage 22 and is provided with a horizontal opening 30 therethrough which extends in alignment with the opening between the side walls 14. The guide block 28 is positioned adjacent the edge of the carriage 22 toward the packaging machine 6. A bar 32 is slidably disposed in the opening 30 with the end portions thereof projecting beyond the guide block. The end 34 of the bar 32 projecting toward the packaging machine 6 is bifurcated and carries a freely rotatable roller 36. A double acting fluid pressure cylinder 38 is rigidly mounted on the carriage 22 adjacent the guide block 28 with its piston rod 40 connected with the inner end 34' of the bar 32. Actuation of cylinder 38 by suitable means (not shown) causes projection or retraction of the bar 32 toward or away from the packaging machine 6.

The nail packaging machine 6 includes a rotary plate or table 42 which supports a plurality of carton-holding frames 44 spaced about the periphery thereof. Each of the frames 44 includes a carton clamping means 45 and a funnel F which is welded to and supported by a pair of fillet brackets 46 which in turn are rigidly secured to a pair of spaced tubes 48 disposed adjacent the edge of the table 42. A horizontal bridge plate 50 is attached to and extends between the tubes 48 at a point adjacent the brackets 46. The tubes 48 are telescoped for vertical movement on a pair of stationary vertical rods 49. Vertical movement of the tubes 48 raises or lowers the funnel F. A dump bucket 52 is mounted on the table Patented Feb. 17, 1959 42 adjacent each of the frames 44 and serves to dump nails into the funnel F. A pressure cylinder 54 is mounted on the underside of each bucket 52 for moving the spout of the bucket out of the path of the funnel F when the latter is raised or lowered. The structure of the nail packaging machine 6 just described is not claimed as part of the subject invention and is described only for the purpose of insuring a clear understanding of the function of the present invention.

In the operation of the nail packaging machine 6, at the first station thereof, as designated in Figure 1, an empty carton C is placed in each frame 44 and the funnel F is lowered into the carton. The table 42 is then rotated to advance the frame 44 and carton contained therein to a nail supplying second station, as designated in Figure 1, where the exact amount of na ls desired in the carton is deposited in the dump bucket 52. As the table 42 is rotated each carton and dump bucket leaving the supplying station is vibrated and the nails are fed gradually into the funnel from the dump bucket to fill the carton. When each frame 44 containing a full carton reaches the first station again, the funnel F is lifted out of the full carton and held in elevated position until the full carton has been removed and replaced with an empty carton. The funnel is then lowered into the empty carton and the packaging cycle is repeated.

The lifter 2 is positioned adjacent the first station where the full cartons are replaced by empty ones. The lifter 2 functions to lift the funnel out of each full carton and maintain it in elevated position until an empty carton is put in the frame to replace the full carton, then the funnel is lowered into the empty container by the lifter 2.

In operation of the lifter 2, as each carton-holding frame 44 reaches a position adjacent the frame housing 8 with a full carton C contained therein, the cylinder 38 is actuated to project the bar 32. Projection of the bar 32 places the roller 36 'in position under the bridge plate The roller 36 is utilized to engage the bridge plate 5-1) in order to absorb the vibration of the packaging machine and thus protect the elements of the lifter from any detrimental effects that may arise as a result of the vibration. Pressure cylinder 26 is then actuated to raise the carriage 22. Raising of the carriage 22 raises the tubes 48 on the rods 49 to elevate the brackets 45 and lift the funnel F from the full carton C. The funnel is maintained in the elevated position until the full carton is removed from the holding frame '44 and anew-one put in its place. After the empty carton is in position'pressu're cylinder26 is again actuated to cause retraction of its piston'rod 28 to lower carriage 22. Lowering of the carriage 22 causes the funnel F to be inserted into the empty carton. After the funnel has been lowered, cylinder 38 is again actuated to cause retraction of the bar 32 so asto remove the roller 36 from engagement with the bridge plate Stl. The rotary table 42 'isthen'rotated to advanc'e'the empty carton to the next station in the operation of the nail packaging'machine 6.

Cylinders 26 and 38 maybe actuated by any desired suitable means such as, for example, manually operated valves or electrically operated solenoid valves. The lifter 2 may be automatically controlled by suitable limit switches connected with the solenoid valves.

Although I have shown the lift of the invention in conjunction with a nail packaging machine it will be understood that the liftcr is not restricted to use with any particular machine but may be used in any machine where similar lifting operations are required.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for filling containers, the combination with a rotary table having a plurality of container-holding means thereon spaced around the perimeter thereof, a filling funnel and means mounting it for vertical movement adjacent each container-holding means, of litter means laterally adjacent the perimeter of said table comprising a frame extending upwardly from the level of the tops of'the containers, a carriage slidable vertically in said frame, means for raising and lowering said carriage, and means mounted on said carriage for projecting and retracting movement in a substantially horizontal plane, said last named means being adapted when projected to engage under the one of said funnel-mounting means in alignment with said frame whereby to lift tne funnel from a filled container.

2. In apparatus for filling containers, the combination with a rotary table having a plurality of container-holding means spaced thereabout, a filling funnel and means mounting it for vertical movement adjacent each container-holding means, of lifter means adjacent said table comprising a frame extending upwardly from the level of the tops of the containers, a carriage slidable vertically in said frame, means for raising and lowering said carriage, and means mounted on said carriage for projecting and retracting movement, said last named means being adapted when projected to engage under the one of said funnel-mounting means in alignment with said frame whereby to lift the funnel from a filled container, said projecting and retracting means including a guide block on said'carriage and abar slidable horizontally therein.

"References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 767,393 Doble Aug. 16,1904 1,154,665 Small Sept. 28, 1915 1,462,407 Havenstein July 17, 1923 1,626,375 Alexanderson Apr. 26, 1927 1,949,536 Ferguson Mar. 6, 1934 2,071,504 Darling Feb. 23, 1937 2,415,528 Peebles et al Feb. 11, 1947 2,482,593 Palmer Sept. 20, 1949 2,758,764 Piazze Aug. 14, 1956 

